Stopper for bottles



P. H HOLMEs STUPPR FOR BOTTLES, JARS, &c.

vPafented Jan. 16, 1894 @Wozu/m @Nmap 'rares PATENT PHILIP HENRY HOLMES, OF GARDINER., MAINE.

STOPPER- FOR BOTTLES, JARS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,705, dated January 16, 1894.

Application led FebruaryrZl, 1892. Serial No. 422.667. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may con/cern:

Beit known that I, PHILIP HENRY HOLMES, a citizen of Gardiner, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stoppers and Methods of Making the Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in Stoppers for bottles, jars, &c., and the object of-the invention being to produce stoppers which can be produced at a cost much less than corks, and which shall be equally as eiectual in the performance of their functions.

With this end in View my invention consists in a stopper made of brous pulp and compressed into shape and permeated by a liquid and acid proof material.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l represents a stopper as it-cornes from the mold. Fig. 2 is a view of a stopper after it is properly dressed and shaped. Fig. 3 is a view of a stopper made in accordance with my invention, capable of withstanding the action of acids and fluids. Fig. 4 is a view of a jar stopper made in accordance with my invention.

In the manufacture of myimproved stoppers I take ber of any suitable kind and while beating it, I inject steam to soften the pulp. The pulp thus prepared is colored with any desired and suitable coloring material and then pressed into proper form in suitable molds. A stopper thus made is capable of use for various purposes where the appearance of the stopper is not taken into consideration, but to render the stopper more presentablein appearance I prefer to dress or nish it until it assumes the form shown in Fig. 2. This may be accomplished by means of knives in a machine made for the purpose or by means of sand wheels in lieu of theknives.

Instead of molding the Stoppers separately,

the material may be molded in the form of 5o blocks and afterward cut off in proper sizes.

The stopper, made as thus far described, is capable only for stopping bottles or other vessels containing dry material.i A

In order to render the Stoppers water and acid proof I dip them in melted parafne wax preferably having gatta-percha added thereto, which latter has the effect of making the Stoppers strono. The stopper may, for

many purposes, be used in this condition,

but in order to render it softer and more like cork I place it in an oven, heated to some 250 or 300 Fahrenheit, and let it ystay for twfenty or thirty hours, or until it becomes so t.

Stoppers made in accordance with my invention are much cheaper than corks, and when very large corks are considered, the difference in the expense is very considerable. In cork Stoppers sixty per cent. of the stock is wasted as they are rst sawed square and then turned round. My improved stoppers are pressed in a round form (in cross section) and may be so pressed that they will be capable of use without further treatment.

Stoppers can be made from ber without the use of steam, but I prefer to use steam as it renders the pulp more soft.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufact-ure a bottle stopper made of fibrous pulprmolded and compressed into shape and permeated by a liquid and acid proof material, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein described process of making bottle Stoppers consisting. in' molding and compressing wet pulp into the desired shape, coating said article with a liquid proof coating and finally baking same, 'substantially as set forth.

3. The herein described process of'making astopper, consisting of pressing ber `pulp into the form of a stopper, dipping the stopper in material capable of withstanding liq' nids and baking said stopper, substantially as set forth.

4. The herein described process of making Y a stopper of ber, consisting in treating the IOO bel` pulp with steam, pressing the pulp i'n 4;' specification in the presence of two `smbsscribthe form of Scopper, dressing 'o'r riishng ing Wfnie'se's.

the stopper, flippin(r it in a solution of paraf- A A fine wax and gutt-pereha, and nally bak- PHILIP HENRY HOLMES' 5 ing the stopper underpressure, substantially Witnesses:

as set forth. N.,I. JoRDAN,

In testimony whereof i have signed this s. N. MXY. 

